First time Geese owner and have a few questions please.

[moorechicks]

We got 3 african geese Sat and they were 4 days old. They are doing great and so sweet. My DH didnt want us to get them cause he said all geese are mean. Is this true? Does it reflect how they were raised and tips on them not to be mean? I have 3 kids and dont want them mean.I would love it if they would just follow me around like a puppy dog

Also how can i sex them? I know NOTHING about geese. Any info on anything with these lil guys would be great thank you so much!!

 

[b.hromada]

I've got one African gosling, and she follows us everywhere! My hubby just loves her. He even goes swimming with her! I believe that they imprint with you. Like you have said, they follow you around everywhere. I also was told that the Africans are one of the more docile breeds. Enjoy!

 

[Kim65]

I also love my geese, but geese are geese and your husband is right. A lot of the time, adult geese are mean. There are exceptions, of course, and it's hard to know. Each goose has it's own personality, and just like humans, some are more "in your face" than others.

It helps a TEENSY bit to understand why they are mean . . . they have no tooth or claw and they are too fat to fly . . . all that's left is sheer obnoxiousness.

Handling them and keeping their numbers very small will help them stay more imprinted on you than each other. The more human imprinted they are, the less they act like geese in a flock. Sort of similar to dogs in a pack.

If you truly want friendly geese, you might think about downsizing at some point, or when one of the ganders starts acting up, rehoming him.

For now, enjoy them. Have your children carefully handle them and spend time with them. Goslings seem rugged but they can be squeezed and killed accidentally. They can suffocate with little hands around their rib cages, so work with the kids and making sure they don't hold the gosling too firmly.

Geese are easy to raise, have very few diseases. THey are messy and play in their water. Don't let them get soaking wet without a warm place to dry off for a couple of weeks at least, they can drown in deep water. WIthout a mother goose, they have no natural oils until they are about three weeks old and their oil gland develops.

Feed them chick starter (unmedicated) and lots of cut up dandelion and grass greens until they are three weeks old. Then switch to a 16% or so all purpose poultry feed and scratch grains. It's important NOT to feed them high protein after that age as it can cause a wing deformity called angel wing. The jury's out on whether it's genetic or a feed issue, but better safe than sorry.

Use a water dish they can immerse their bills up to above their nostrils in. They need to keep those nose holes clean, they can get food up there, and get blocked, so plenty of water is necessary. The downside of that is they will PLAY in the water and have filthy water and make a mess. Thus is life with goslings. I use a two quart cat waterer from the pet store so I don't have to change out the water every five minutes. A little feed in the water won't hurt them.

Have fun, most of all

Be willing to rehome the more aggressive birds. Females are less aggressive than the ganders. As far as sexing them, well, it's a professionals job and most of us have to wait until we can see differences in behavior or actual egg laying

. Enjoy them until they are four or five months old and then observe their behavior, we'll help you with our "edumacated" guesses better at that time

Ganders are usually more friendly and gregarious, while females are shyer, even as goslings, but it's subtle.

Good luck, new goose owner

 

[Lund Poultry]

my africans are great around ME others they are more standoffish, but they are VERY aggressive in the spring during breeding season. So you MUST be carefull and not have your kids within reach during these times. My kids are fine around ours because I have tought them to respect them. Remember they are animals and only doing what comes natural. Enjoy!

 

[Goosehaven]

Out of the 6 adult geese I have only one of the ganders and one of the females is what I consider to be aggressive. Even during the breeding season it is only the two that will actually attack my legs. The other four have never offered to do anything. They just stand and look at the other two like they are crazy. I agree with the other poster that said to keep the group smaller because the gander that attacks was my first goose and he was obsessed with me and only me at that time. As I added more geese his personality changed toward me completely, even though I'm the one that took care of him and still do. I have learned to read their body language pretty good to avoid getting attacked as much but if I had small children I would definitely rehome the two. Good luck with your new geese!

 

[Scifisarah]

Are there certain breeds of geese that are less agressive? I'd like to get a sebastopol to watch over our call duck flock but don't want it to terrorize me or my children whenever we get near the ducks.

 

[moorechicks]

Wow such great info!! Thanks to everyone!!

I learned alot just reading these replies . I am so excited to have them and be thier mom. They are 11 days old today and have me wrapped already lol..

 

[mamawolf544]

I love my geese, I have an African pair, a white Chinese pair, a Embden pair and a pair of Sebastapols. They have 4 goslings right now and they stay in a group and are so very protective, I am pretty sure they are all 4 Sebbies and she right now is the meanest. And I hand raised every one of these geese, they were handled and loved on but when their first breeding season came they were all mean as snakes. LOL But the rest of the year they are just peaceful and will come get treats right out of your hand.

 

[noahsgeese]

My Embden gander is very mean but I think that it depends on how you raise your goose and I would maybe handle them and love of them and if you do that then I think that you will have some great geese! Good luck!